Complete guide to DRTV
HOW DRTV ADVERTISING CAN BOOST SALES
- Direct Response Advertising delivers quick results
- DRTV Ads get viewers to react
- Media buying is more cost-effective than brand advertising
- Tracking advert conversions happens quickly
- DRTV ads reach a vast audience
- TV advertising builds confidence in your brand
WHAT IS DRTV?
DRTV ads differ from brand response advertising in that the viewers respond to the offer directly. Calls to action can range from a toll-free number on screen, a special offer or a website URL. The return on investment delivered by direct response TV advertising is one of the highest possible in all advertising mediums. Compared to social media advertising, where your brand has to fight amongst the digital chatter, the best direct-response advertising sets out a message and delivers measurable results.
DRTV – DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING
DRTV is the name for a specific type of TV advertising that uses a call to action on the screen. The advertiser expects the viewer to respond to the advert by calling a number or visiting a website. DRTV works brilliantly as part of a BVOD advertising campaign, and unified messaging that covers TV and online delivery makes it a powerful selling tool.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRAND ADVERTISING AND DRTV
Brand advertising has traditionally done a brilliant job of communicating the company’s broader message to consumers. Brand ads are used to establish credibility or promote new product lines to attract buyers to think positively about your business. At the same time, direct response campaigns focus on selling specific items through marketing strategies such as phone calls and web traffic. They encourage people who see the adverts to respond by visiting a website or calling a number.
The second screen phenomenon has given the direct response television commercial a new lease of life. Rather than waiting until the viewer has finished watching TV, a second screen means viewers actively engage with brands and offers in real-time.
THE FUTURE OF DRTV
Bringing TV advertising closer to brands is the goal of shoppable ads. 81% of viewers already state that TV adverts have influenced their shopping. Adding the shopping experience to adverts reduces friction and makes attribution easier. ITV and C4 have already launched shoppable adverts on their platforms. Brands can easily upgrade existing DRTV adverts to be shoppable by using QR codes directly on screen.
DRTV AGENCY IN LONDON
Toast is DRTV agency based in London. We work with many large brands to produce stunning adverts, but we’re probably best known for our work for new-to-TV brands like Innocent Smoothies and Abel & Cole.
MEDIA COSTS AND MEDIA PLACEMENT
When planning your media placements, it’s worth remembering that Direct Response adverts work best out of peak time advertising. The most cost-effective use of your media budget is to buy many slots across channels that are right for your demographic. Lumping all your budget into buying a few advert slots in expensive primetime will end up wasting your opportunity. Toast is an experienced DRTV media buying agency who can get the best media packages to make sure your advert is seen on television.
Digital TV channels are a powerful medium for DRTV; many Freeview channels have very focused offerings which lead to concentrated audience pools. These channels are a great place to build a target audience.
HIRING ONE OF THE TOP DRTV AGENCIES
When appointing a DRTV agency, looking at the quality of work they’ve produced for other companies is good. Budgets are always tricky to gauge, but the quality of an advert shows on TV. Viewers will judge your brand against other adverts around you.
Using a full-service Direct Response Agency that can undertake the whole advertising process from script to screen is a substantial saving. The budget will be used wisely rather than having multiple companies competing to keep as much of your budget as they can.
MEASURING RESULTS OF DIRECT RESPONSE TV ADVERTISING
A DRTV advert uses a website address or phone number as a customer contact method. Analytics software can now correlate website visits with an advert running on TV. This software allows our clients to gauge how well their adverts are performing on various TV channels and at specific time-slots.
With these results available, testing different calls to action, end-frames, time slots and channels is possible. The media budget is then adjusted to deliver the best results.
TV made other media work harder by boosting the performance of the other media channels used in a campaign by up to 54%
TV had by far the highest ‘multiplier effect’ of any media channel
Thinkbox’s ‘Demand Generation’ (2019), conducted with Wavemaker, Gain Theory and Mediacom
GETTING THE DRTV CREATIVE RIGHT
In recent research by Accelero the creative quality of an advert gives a x12 multiplier of advert profitability. DRTV adverts need to stand out, having a memorable creative idea that viewers recall makes your budget work harder.
Accelero’s research findings can be found here on the Thinkbox website. Other factors affecting profitability include Budget setting across geographies, Brand performance, and Multimedia, with Brand size being the only factor with more influence than creativity.
MAKING THE MOST OF A CALL TO ACTION
A prospective customer wants to feel at home once they’ve entered your URL, so make sure your website reflects your TV advert somehow. Keep the experience the same; viewers want a cohesive brand message across TV advertising and your website. Have a still from your TV advert on your landing pages so the viewer knows they’ve come to the right site.
DRTV ads are a powerful way to build databases of interested customers; some purchases aren’t impulsive and need a nudge over the line. A response advert that delivers a list of potential customers is an excellent way of feeding leads to a phone sales team.
A bonus of DRTV is the trust-building nature of TV commercials. Advertising on TV near national brands adds trust signals to your company. If your company sells big-ticket products such as gold coins or cruises, a DRTV commercial can leverage the trust gained from TV advertising to close sales.
A call to action that includes a toll-free number is a great way to gauge which areas of the country your advert works best. It’s best to run adverts when your call centre is operating; an unanswered call wastes your precious marketing budget.
WORK WITH TOAST
If you’re looking to work with one of the top DRTV agencies with great creative ideas, award-winning writers and directors, do get in touch. We start the advertising process by having our new clients complete a briefing document explaining all about their company and brand. Do get in touch to kick off your DRTV advertising journey.
